Apple backs LGBT equality act

Apple is a strong supporter of the LGBT community. Photo: Tim Cook/Twitter

In an effort to outlaw discrimination against LGBT people under federal law, members of congress introduced the historic Equality Act of 2015 today, and they’ve got the biggest company in tech on their side.

By ensuring people can no longer be discriminated against due to sexual orientation or gender identity, the sweeping legislation would extend these rights to LGBT people in the 31 states that don’t offer those protections to LGBT citizens. The new bill already has 150 co-sponsors, plus Apple’s official endorsement.

Apple released the following statement to the Human Rights Campaign today, writing, “At Apple we believe in equal treatment for everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they look like, how they worship or who they love. We fully support the expansion of legal protections as a matter of basic human dignity.”

Apple’s endorsement should come as no surprise. The company has been a major supporter of LGBT issues across the U.S. Over 6,000 Apple employees marched in the recent SF Pride parade. Tim Cook also made major waves in the business world last year when he came out as the first openly gay Fortune 500 CEO.

Other companies such as Dow Chemical and Levi Strauss have also publicly endorsed the bill that still faces an uphill battle in Congress, where conservative representatives are likely to oppose it.